The query of the returning foreigner

I’ve been here in Loja for exactly a week. On my second day of deliberately getting lost in the city, in order to find things and places I wouldn’t otherwise, I happened upon this small family-run restaurant. I was walked by it around noon, and suddenly I felt this urge to go in. So I walked back and went in.

“Habla inglés?” (do you speak English) I asked.

The grandmother of the family looked at one of the older boys, who looked about 19, and pointed at me. He was in the middle of his lunch, so he dried his mouth with a napkin, walked over to me and said, “Yes, I do. How can I help you?”

As it turned out, he studied at the same institution that I will teach in, but he lives in a different city and he’s only here to visit some family and friends. He was my waiter for the rest of the meal.

I returned a few days later, because I liked the place and the food, and he was assigned to me again.

Today when I went back there, I was shown a table and instead of a menu, the grandmother handed me a cell phone. Yes, you guessed it. The guy went back to his town, so the grandmother called him, told him the specials, and then handed me the phone so he can tell me.

I found this to be very sweet. On the one hand, I get it, I’m not an easy customer, but on the other hand, I’ve returned twice in one week, and I’m planning on going back sometime soon. So the grandmother’s way of vicariously communicating with me was brilliant, because one of the reasons why I return is the (English) service. 

I like to know what I’m eating, because it’s worth knowing what tastes so good!


A.D.